News & Blog

Arkansas is implementing major changes to third grade reading requirements beginning in the 2025 to 2026 school year. These updates will affect promotion decisions, intervention planning, and how schools support early literacy at every grade level. The goal is simple but significant: ensure all students can read…

A major shift is underway in Texas education. STAAR®, the state’s long-standing accountability test, is being replaced by the new Student Success Tool (SST). With the passage of House Bill 8, educators across the state are preparing for this transition, which brings significant…

Remember the excitement of field trip days? The permission slips, the bus rides, the chance to see learning come alive outside classroom walls? For many schools today, those experiences have become casualties of shrinking budgets. Transportation costs, admission fees, and staffing requirements have forced districts to make tough…

Written by Rheanne Renzenbrink, with additional input from subject area experts. Rheanne is a former secondary English teacher with over a decade of experience in the classroom and with standardized testing. She’s helped coordinate and proctor ACT® and SAT® exams, including supporting her own students through the accommodations process. Rheanne…

In September 2025, the Virginia Board of Education unanimously approved new cut scores for the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. This decision follows the adoption of more rigorous academic standards in math and English,…

For many high school students, the PSAT®/NMSQT® is their first experience with a college-readiness assessment. While it is often seen as a simple practice test or a qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship Program, the truth is that PSAT® data offers…

Pennsylvania schools face growing pressure to demonstrate success across multiple dimensions, not just test scores. If you’re a district leader, curriculum director, or principal in Pennsylvania, you’ve likely spent time analyzing your school’s Future Ready PA Index results and wondering how to move the needle on those…

In recent years, more states are moving away from the traditional one-time, end-of-course (EOC) assessment model and adopting a more dynamic, intra-year approach to measuring student growth. This shift is more than a change in test timing. It represents a philosophical move toward supporting student learning in real…

Oklahoma social studies teachers are facing immense uncertainty. Oklahoma’s social studies standards have been approved, paused, and taken to court all in the span of a few months. With leadership changes adding to the confusion, it’s no wonder educators are left asking: What now?…